tall case clock otherwise known as a grandfather clock
is much more than a device that tells time. Before mass production, each tall
case clock was unique and often embellished to make a grand statement for both
the owner and the clock maker. Tall case clocks were generally the most
expensive item in a household and the most technologically advanced.

During the seventeenth century, the measurement of time was
very inaccurate. While mechanical clocks had been used for centuries, they were
unreliable and had to be regularly corrected by the use of a sun dial.
Influenced by Galileo’s experiments, the Dutch Scientist Christian Huygens
designed the first pendulum clock in 1657 and with this invention punctuality
was born.

The immediate effect of a timepiece with a long pendulum was
the creation of a case to protect the swinging element. Enlisting the finest
European cabinetmakers to make cases permitted clocks to be identified as
furniture for the first time. Often one of the most valuable objects in the
home, the tall case clock was consider an object of what we might today call
conspicuous consumption, and testified to one’s social and economic status.
Never the less during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, England, France
and America produced some of the finest tall case clocks developing distinct
case styles.

The British quickly took to improved accuracy of time
keeping and the idea of “being on time.” Ahaseurus Fromateel, an English clockmaker
of Dutch descent, first introduced the pendulum clock to London. The English
case design during the late seventeenth century paralleled the architectural
style of the period. The cases were mostly veneered with ebony and decorated
with barley twist columns. By the end of the eighteenth century, England was
the leader in clock movement design and innovation allowing the tall case clock
to be both accurate and practical.

The visual appearance of the early French clock case
differed from the English. Although Louis XIV invited Christian Huygens to the
French court, the Monarch valued a more formal design over time precision.
Royal cabinet maker Andre-Charles Boulle used exotic woods and materials
creating luxurious parquetry designed furniture including clock cases for the
King. His name “Boulle” is often applied to this type of work. In France the
tall case clock was considered an objet d’art and secondarily a clock.

The earliest clocks in America were imported by English and
Dutch settlers who brought with them the skills of European clockmakers. During
the eighteenth century, American clock production flourished yet most of the
parts and materials were imported from England. After the Revolutionary War,
brass supply in America was limited and clock makers began designing and
constructing movements from wood. Today, American tall case clocks with wooden
movements are rare and highly coveted by collectors.

In America, tall case clock production flourished
particularly in the Philadelphia area. Abel Cottey, one of the first clock
makers in the colonies, established his workshop in Philadelphia. Like most
clock makers, Cottey made the mechanism, the dial, the pendulum, and the
weights himself; however, he left the case to be made by a joiner. These joiners
or cabinetmakers from Philadelphia were artistically talented creating many
superbly carved cases with ornamental details. A sophisticated tall case clock
signed by Philadelphia clock maker Peter Stretch holds the record for an
American clock sold at auction at $1.6 million. Historic records indicate that
Benjamin Franklin owned a tall case clock created by another Philadelphia clock
maker, Edward Duffield.

By the early 1800’s, clock making in America was becoming a
major manufacturing industry. The affects of the Industrial Revolution
permitted the production interchangeable parts at a lower cost and in larger
quantity. The demand for tall case clocks diminished as clock makers began to
mass produce mantle and wall clocks for the public.

Tall case clocks vary not only in style but also in value.
When determining value, it is best to consult a qualified appraiser. There are
several criteria appraisers consider when determining value. The first is
condition. Does the tall case clock work? Antique tall case clocks are mostly
built by skilled craftsman with the use of quality materials. However, a clock
maker’s reputation is a chief element that contributes to the value of a tall
case clock. The makers name is usually marked on the dial plate. The more famous
the maker, the higher the value. The third factor is age. Identifying the age
may be done by referencing the maker, the case design and the materials used on
the dial and movement, When a case style does not correspond with the materials
of the dial or movement, this is referred to as a marriage which dramatically
affects the value of the clock. The last criteria to consider is aesthetics.
Does the clock case have intricate rare details that stand out as a stately
timepiece?

Whether tall case clocks are haughty or humble, signed
clocks in their original cabinetry case with authentic movement mechanisms in
good working condition tend to

bring the highest value. The next time you encounter a tall
case clock consider it to be more than just a timepiece; often this type of
clock is a remarkable work of creative decorative art that makes a grand
statement testifying to social and economic status of the owner.

* Colleen Boyle is an
appraisal consultant for Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction and appraisal company.
She holds advanced degrees in Art History and a diploma in French fine and
Decorative Arts from Christie’s, Paris. She has appraised art and antiques for
private collectors and corporations throughout the U.S. and regularly publishes
articles about art and collecting. (610) 470-5340 phone, cbfineart@gmail.com,
www.freemansauction.com